JANUARY 16, 2010
THE ARMENIAN
Mirror-Spectator
Vo l ume L X X X, NOs. 27, Issue 4121
The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States
Court OKs Turkey Protocols
By Anush Martirosian,
Ruzanna Stepanian
YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The
Constitutional Court upheld on Tuesday
the legality of Armenia’s normalization
agreements with Turkey amid continuing
protests staged by nationalist groups
opposed to the deal.
The widely anticipated verdict paved the
way for the agreements’ ratification by par-
liament. The National Assembly is not
expected, however, to start debating the
two “protocols” before their endorsement
by Turkey’s parliament.
The Constitutional Court handed down
the ruling several hours after it started
examining their conformity with the
Armenian constitution. The session was
open to the media for only four minutes.
The court decided that the examination
will follow a “written procedure” that does
not involve public hearings and verbal ques-
tioning of government officials and experts.
The court chairman, Gagik Harutiunian,
announced that the panel of nine judges
will only consider written statements sub-
mitted by the Armenian Foreign Ministry
and other interested parties.
“This is an issue which has an exception-
Secretary of State Clinton to Consult with Armenian-
American Organizations Regarding Protocols
Meeting Scheduled as Turkey
Continues to Link Nagorno
Karabagh
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton will meet with Armenian-
American organizations next month to con-
sult on the protocols between Armenia and
Turkey announced the Armenian Assembly
of America. The Assembly requested a
meeting with Secretary Clinton to discuss
issues of concern to the community.
Invited to attend the meeting with
Clinton are: the Armenian Assembly of
CELEBRATING THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY AT ST. VARTAN
CATHEDRAL, SEE STORY AND PHOTOS ON PAGE 6
Opponents of the Turkish-Armenian Agreements Demonstrate outside the Constitutional
Court on January 12 (Photolure Photo)
al significance,” he said. “All those written
documents that have been submitted to the
Constitutional Court are available in the
deliberations room and the members of the
court can take them into account.”
Harutiunian added that they would also
look into a nine-page petition from the
America, the Armenian General Benevolent
Union, the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), the Diocese
of the Armenian Church (Western), the
Knights of Vartan and the Armenian
National Committee of America.
“The Republic of Armenia through its
president, has taken bold steps, yet the
Republic of Turkey continues its counter-
productive actions with respect to normal-
izing relations with Armenia,” stated
Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. “As such, this meeting offers an
see CLINTON, page 20
$ 2.00
Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun) and other vocal oppo-
nents of the Turkish-Armenian protocols. “I
am convinced that the members of the
court will also familiarize themselves with it
during the examination to clarify their legal
positions,” he said.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders handed the doc-
ument as more than a thousand of its sup-
porters marched to the court building in
Yerevan on Monday. They demanded that
the Constitutional Court declare the proto-
cols at least “partly unconstitutional.”
Several dozen demonstrators gathered
outside the court building on Tuesday to
see COURT, page 20
Turkey Envoy: ‘Israel’s
Shameful Display Is
Worst I’ve Ever Seen’
ANKARA (Ha’aretz) — The Turkish
Foreign Ministry last Tuesday summoned
Israeli Ambassador Gaby Levy for clarifica-
tion, a day after the Foreign Ministry in
Jerusalem called in Ankara’s envoy to Israel
for what the latter described to Army Radio
as the most shameful experience of his 35-
year career.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday
that Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon
did not intend to humiliate Ambassador
Ahmet Oguz Celikkol by seating him in a
lower chair without flag representation dur-
ing their meeting.
Celikkol was called in regarding a recent
Turkish television drama depicting actors
dressed as Shin Bet officers who kidnap
babies.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that it had
summoned the envoy and ordered the seat-
ing arrangement to make clear that it
would respond to any insult made by the
Turkish leadership.
Three months ago, a similar diplomatic
instance occurred between the two coun-
tries after Turkey aired the controversial
television drama “Ayrilik” (“Separation”)
which featured actors dressed as Israeli sol-
diers killing Palestinian children.
During the meeting, Turkey’s ambas-
sador was seated in a low sofa, and facing
him, in higher chairs, were Ayalon and two
other officials — an arrangement carried
out at Lieberman’s orders.
see ISRAEL, page 4
NEWS IN BRIEF
Turkish Court: Apology
Campaign Not a Crime
ISTANBUL (Hetq) — The Court of Appeals’ 9th
Criminal Office in Turkey has decided that the
Internet signature campaign “I apologize to the
Armenians” (Erminilerden Özür Diliyorum) does
not constitute a crime.
A group of Turkish intellectuals had initiated the
campaign in 2008 regarding the events of 1915.
More than 30,000 people have already supported
the campaign with their signatures.
The campaign sent the following message to the
Armenian community: “I cannot reconcile my con-
science to denial of and insensitivity about the
great Ottoman disaster the Armenians were
imposed to in 1915. I reject this injustice and share
the feelings and grief of my Armenian brothers and
sisters. I apologize to them.”
Patriarchal Vicar in
Jerusalem Resigns
JERUSALEM — The Armenian Patriarchate of
Jerusalem released a statement on January 7
announcing the resignation of Patriarchal Vicar
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian from his post.
Manougian was the deputy of the patriarch,
Archbishop Torkom Manoogian.
According to the brief statement, the Patriarch
had appointed Manougian to the second-in-
command post, elevating him from the rank of
Grand Sacristan, in December 2008.
Archbishop Nourhan Manougian had submitted
his resignation on November 5, 2009, and, according
to the statement, “the members of the Holy Synod
have expressed their concerns about the Patriarchal
Vicar’s indifference towards his responsibilities.”
Two Candidates for Co-
Patriarch in Istanbul
ISTANBUL (Today’s Zaman) — Turkey’s Armenian
citizens have two candidates for the position of co-
patriarch, as the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul
tries to appoint an assistant to Patriarch of
Constantinople Mesrob Mutafian, in light of his
debilitating illness.
Two clerics have announced their candidacy:
Sebouh Chuljyan, the primate of the Gougark
Diocese in Armenia, and the leader of the
Armenian Church in Germany, Archbishop Karekin
Bekdjian. Both meet the requirement for the
Patriarchate, as both were born in Turkey.
The Turkish-Armenian community recognizes
Mutafian as their spiritual leader until the end of
his life. The Patriarchate’s statement noted that
until the emergence of health problems, Mutafian
had served for 11 years and that on December 24,
2008, the Patriarchate voted that he would be the
community’s spiritual leader until his death.
INSIDE
Nora
Armani
Page 12
INDEX
Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,3
Arts and Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Community News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5
2 S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

ARMENIA

News From Armenia Around 80 US Companies in Armenia

YEREVAN (Armenpress) — About 80
O ve r a l l 5 3 , 0 0 0 P e o p l e US companies operate in Armenia. They
cover various sectors of economy, such
V i s i te d M a t en a da r a n as IT, banking, tourism and hospitality,
manufacturing, etc. Executive Director
In 20 09 of American Chamber of Commerce in
Y ER EVA N ( A r me n p re ss ) — Ab o ut 3,632 g ro up s p aid Armenia (AmCham) Diana Gaziyan said
a v i s i t i n 2 0 09 t o t h e I n s t i t u t e o f A n c i en t that these, as well as heavy industry, are
M a n u s c r i pt s , t h e M a t e n a d a r a n , e n c o m p a s s i n g a the spheres which are of particular
t o t a l o f 5 3 , 0 0 0 v i s i t o r s , s a i d t h e h e a d o f t h e e xh i - interest for US companies.
b i t i o n - h a l l o f M a t e n a d a r a n , A i da C h a r k h c h y a n . S h e According to her assessment, even
a d d e d t h a t t h e f i g u r e h a s d e c r e a s e d s l i g ht l y f r o m though there are some obvious issues
t he p re vi o us ye ar. hindering the development of business
A b o u t 3 , 7 1 7 g r o u p s v i s i t e d t h e M a t e n a da r a n i n in Armenia, the country’s business leg-
2 0 0 8 , i n c l u d i n g 5 6 , 6 4 0 p e o p l e . Ac c o r d i n g t o islation is rather liberal and foreign
C h a r k h c h y a n , t h e d e c r e a s e i s c o n n ec t e d w i t h t h e investment oriented. There is no need to
g l o b a l f i na nc i a l c r i s i s , a s w e l l a s w i t h A H 1 N 1 i n f e c - create new laws; the fair application of
t io n . the existing ones will be enough. The
“A g re at numb e r o f sc ho o l- c hil dre n vi si t t he country is quite attractive from doing
M a t e na d a r a n a n nu al l y ov er t h e m on t h s o f business perspective, which is proven by
D e c em b e r a n d N ov e m b er , b u t s c h o o l s w er e c l o s e d the fact of the presence of some major
t h i s y e a r b e c a u s e o f t h e i nf e c t i o n , ” C h a rk h c h y a n
s a id .
F r a n c e i s i n f i r s t pl a c e i n t e r m s o f t h e n u m b e r o f
Fadey Sargisian Dies
t ou r is t s w ho v is it e d M at e n adar an , fo ll owe d b y It al y,
G e r m a n y , R u s s i a a n d t h e U S . L a s t y e a r t h e n u m b er
o f t o u r i s t s G e r m a n y w a s e s p e c i a l l y g r e a t . T he n u m -
At Age 86
b e r o f t ou r i s t s a r r i v e d f r o m J a pa n h a s d e c r e a s e d
t h i s y ea r c o m p a r e d t o 2 0 0 8 a s w e l l .
YEREVAN (armradio.am
PanArmenian.net) — Dr. Fadey
and
international players.
According to the Armenian Statistical
Service, the US investments in the real
sector of the economy during the
January-September were $15.7 million.
This index, though, as compared with
the same span of the past year, had been
reduced by 27.9 percent. Gaziyan says
because of the depreciation of the dram,
attractive sectors are those which export
or add value or manufacture here.
The American Chamber of Commerce
in Armenia has been operating in
Armenia since 2000. Currently,
AmCham has around 80 member com-
panies, which represent various sectors
or economy, such as financial services,
insurance, banking, energy and mining,
information technologies, consumer
goods, manufacturing, tourism, market-
ing and promotion, infrastructure devel-
Armenian PM Vows to
opment, internationals organizations,
etc. AmCham is a member of the US
Chamber of Commerce and European
Council of American Chambers of
Commerce.
The executive director assures that
one of the most important areas of
AmCham activities is lobbying for the
business interests of its members in its
strive to create more competitive busi-
ness environment in Armenia. AmCham
creates opportunities for its members to
network, enlarge the scope of their busi-
ness contacts and find new partners.
Gaziyan says another important direc-
tion is increasing the business relations
between Armenia and Turkey, and
AmCham realizes that the opening of
the Armenian-Turkish border will have a
significant impact on the business envi-
ronment development in Armenia.

Sargisian, an adviser to Armenian Prime

Expose Wealthy Officials
Minister Tigran Sargisian, died on prompts us to create and introduce,
Bran dy P ro duc t ion i n January 10 at the age of 86.
Sargisian was chairman of the
By Ruben Meloyan together with you, [legal] mechanisms
that would address this problem,” he
A r m en ia for J an -Nov Council of Ministers of the Armenian
YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Prime
said.
“We are going to fight against oli-
SSR (1977-1989), parliamentarian
2 0 0 9 d ow n 4 3 . 1 % (1995-1999) and had the rank of major Minister Tigran Sargisian pledged last gopolies, rather than oligarchs,”
general. week to crack down on wealthy and stressed the prime minister. “These
Y E R EVA N ( A r mi n f o ) — B r a n dy p ro d u c t i o n i n
He graduated from the Leningrad presumably corrupt state officials, say- are different things.”
A r m e n i a fo r J a n - N o v 2 0 0 9 ve r s u s t h e s a m e p e r i o d
Budyonov Military Academy (1946). ing that will be a key element of his The International Monetary Fund
o f 2 0 0 8 w a s d ow n 4 3 . 1 p e r c e n t t o 8 , 4 6 9 t h ou s a n d
He researched in radio electronics, drive to strengthen the rule of law in and the World Bank also increasingly
l i t e r s , a c c o rd i n g t o t h e T h e N a t i o na l S t a t i s t i c a l
computer engineering and automatic Armenia. stress the importance of tackling the
S e r v i ce o f A r m e n i a .
control systems. Sargisian stood by his ambitious oligopolistic structures. Officials from
F r o m J a n u a r y t o N ov e m b e r 2 0 0 8 , b r a n d y p r o d u c -
Sargisian held different leading posi- reform agenda that puts the emphasis both multilateral institutions have
t i o n i n A r m e n i a a m o u n t e d t o 1 4 . 8 8 9 t h ou s a n d
tions in the Scientific Technical on tackling tax evasion by the rich, warned in recent months that
l it e r s. Vo dka an d li que ur p ro duc t io n in A r me n ia , in
Committee of the Central Rocket Artillery improving the country’s business envi- Armenia cannot return to the path of
J a n u a r y t o N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 9 w a s u p 9 pe r c e n t t o
Administration of the USSR Ministry of ronment and, in particular, breaking robust growth without combating gov-
1 1 , 5 0 9 . 4 t h ou s a n d l i t e r s . W i n e p r od u c t i o n g r ew
up “oligopolies” that have monopo- ernment corruption and creating a
3 0 . 8 p e rc e n t t o 3 5 1 3 t h o u s a n d l i t e rs . C h a m p a g ne
lized key sectors of the Armenian level playing field for all businesses.
w in e s p ro duc t i o n w as dow n 1 3.6 p e rc e n t t o 2 48.3
economy. Sargisian argued that his govern-
t h ou s a n d l i t e r s . B ee r p r o d u c t i o n w a s u p 2 . 4 p e r -
The de facto monopolies are widely ment has already obligated the coun-
c e nt t o 1 0 , 3 4 6 . 9 t h o u s a n d l i t e rs f o r t h e p e r i o d
believed to be controlled not only try’s 500 largest companies to issue
u n d e r r ev i ew . N on - a l c o h o l d r i n k s p r od u c t i o n m a d e
wealthy businessmen but also high- more detailed financial reports certi-
u p 3 2 . 2 m i l l i o n l i t e r s f a l l i n g 1 5 p er c e n t v er s u s J a n -
ranking government and security offi- fied by foreign auditors starting from
No v 2 0 0 8 .
cials. Local anti-graft campaigners say next year. He described that as the
this is the root cause of government first step towards breaking up the oli-
corruption in Armenia. gopolies.
P r e c i o u s M e t a l s G ro w i n g “I think we can conclude, together
with you, that officials engage in busi-
Sargisian again defended the gov-
ernment’s response to the global eco-
I n Pr ice i n A r m en ia ness nowadays,” Sargisian acknowl- nomic crisis that has plunged Armenia
edged during a year-end news confer- into its worst recession since the
Y ER EVA N ( A r mi n fo ) — T he o f f ic i al p r ic e o f go ld
Fadey Sargisian ence. “We can make such a political 1990s. He claimed that the country is
( go ld bu ll io n s) es t ab li s he d fo r t he c ur ren t we e k
evaluation.” emerging from the slump with “mini-
( J a n u a r y 1 1 - 1 7 ) i n A r m e n i a w er e u p 2 . 8 p er c e n t a s
He complained Armenia’s existing mal losses.”
c o mp are d t o t he p r i c es fo r t he last we ek ( 13.30 9.34 Defense (1946-1959), was director of laws make it all but impossible for the The Armenian economy is on track
d r a m s ) a n d t o t a l ed 1 3 , 6 7 6 . 0 7 d r a m s p e r g r a m , Yerevan Scientific Research Institute of authorities to expose and punish offi- to contract by at least 15 percent this
a c c o r d i n g t o t h e D e po s i t o r y of P r e c i o u s M e t a l s a n d Mathematical Machines (1963-1977), cials with extensive business interests year. The government anticipates that
S t o n e s of A r m e n i a . chairman of the Council of Ministers of of dubious origin. “That’s what makes economic growth will resume already
T h e ex - f a c t o r y s i l v e r p r i c e w a s u p 4 p er c e n t t o the Armenian SSR (1977-1989), us refrain from publicizing names and in 2010.
2 1 5 . 9 6 d r a m s / g ( 2 0 7 . 6 6 dr a m s l a s t w e e k ) , p l a t - Academician-secretary of the Division of
i n u m — 8 p e r c e n t t o 1 8 , 6 6 4 . 6 6 d r a m s /g ( 1 7 2 9 6 . 4 8 physico-mathematical and technical sci-
d r a m s l a s t w ee k ) , a n d p a l l a d i u m — 1 6 . 2 p e r c e n t t o ences of the National Academy of Sciences
5 1 5 1 . 2 2 d ra m s / g ( 4 4 3 2 . 6 7 d r a m s ) . of Armenia (1989-1993) and President of
the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia (1993-2006).
Central Bank: 2010 to Be
Ch i ldre n i n A rm en ia Sargisian was born September 18,
1923 in Yerevan. He was a foreign mem- Year of Recovery for Armenia
B a ck to Sch oo l a f t er ber of the Russian, Georgian and
Portuguese Academies of Sciences, YEREVAN (Arka) — Earlier this was followed by a rally.
O n e - M o n t h Q u ar a n t i ne Honorary Member of the International month, Vache Gabrielyan, deputy chair- Gabrielyan said that new loans
Academy of Engineering Sciences, the man of the Central Bank of Armenia, extended to the economy and the
Y ER EVA N (Te r t .am) — Chi ldre n w en t b ac k to
Ararat International Academy of summarizing the results of 2009, said increased financial mediation amid the
s c ho o l i n A r m e n i a t h i s w e e k , a f t e r s c h o o l s a n d
Sciences, the Armenian Philosophical 2010 would be a year of recovery for crisis played an important part in heal-
k i n d e r g a r t e n s w e r e cl o s e d f o r a l i t t l e ov e r a m o n t h
Academy, the International Academy of the country. ing the situation.
i n a n e f f or t t o c u r b t h e s p r e a d o f r e s p i r a t o r y i l l -
Sciences, Education, Industry and Arts, He said that 2009 was very difficult At the same time, he said that many
n e s s e s i n t h e re p u b l i c .
among others. He was double laureate for Armenia because of impacts of the problems are still waiting for their solu-
T h e d e c i s i o n t o c l o s e s c h o o l s , m a d e o n D e c e m b er
of state award of the USSR, laureate of global recession, but the country’s tions.
8 , w a s m a de by t h e A r m en i a n M i n i st e r o f
state award of the Ukrainian SSR. He financial sector has managed to resist Among these problems, he singled
H ea l t hc a r e an d t h e A r m e ni an M i ni s t er o f
has been honored with orders of Lenin, these challenges. out the lack of diversification and com-
E d u c a t i o n a n d S c i e nc e .
October Revolution, Red Banner of “But it doesn’t mean that everything petition as well as shadow economy
T h o u g h ch i l d r e n g ot a n e a r l y s t a r t t o t h e h o l i -
Labor (three times) and Saint Mesrop is O.K. in Armenia’s financial and bank- that directly affect the financial sector.
d ay s , t h e d e c i s i o n t o c l o s e s c h o o l s r e s u l t e d i n w o r k -
Mashtots and served as adviser to the ing sectors, and they are free from “We enter 2010 with higher infla-
i n g p a re n t s s c ra m b l i n g t o s e c u re c h i l d c a re — a c o n -
prime minister of the Republic of troubles. The opposite - we have plenty tion than in 2009. But recovery needs
s eq ue nc e w hic h t he st at e didn ’t t ake i n to ac c o un t
Armenia since 2006. to do.” certain expenses, and we made them.
a p p a re n t l y .
A governmental committee will be in However, he said, the course of the We are convinced that these expenses
charge of funeral organization. system’s development shows that pre- were necessary and will produce
cipitous decline in the first half of 2009 results.”
 S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 3

ARMENIA

‘Armenian Elvis’ Keeps King’s Legend Alive

By Tatevik Lazarian

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — Narek Markarian is the first to

admit that physically, he isn’t a dead ringer for the King of
Rock and Roll, despite his glossy pompadour and sleek black
sideburns. But Markarian, who has come to be known as the
“Armenian Elvis,” says that preserving the musical memory of
the King of Rock and Roll — born 75 years ago on January 8
— is what matters to him most.
The 26-year-old Markarian began to collect Presley’s record-
ings and memorabilia while he was still a schoolboy: “I main-
ly collect the records. Songs are the greatest riches that Elvis
has left to us.”
Now an entire room of his home in Yerevan is devoted to
the King, with hundreds of books, posters and recordings, and
even articles of clothing that once belonged to Presley, who
died in 1977 at the age of 42. “It may seem odd to have a thou-
sand CDs by the same artist,” he said. “But when you get to
know these people [who produce these CDs], you begin to
understand that what they’ve done is put serious research into
a cultural phenomenon.
“Elvis is a cultural phenomenon with a lasting influence.
And people continue to study that phenomenon and give lec-
tures it. It’s very interesting. And it’s very important that his-
tory should not be forgotten.”
Markarian is a teacher at Yerevan’s Bryusov Linguistic
University. But at night, he turns into “the Armenian Elvis.”
He dons shiny suit jackets, swivels his hips and performs
songs such as Suspicious Minds, Jailhouse Rock and other
Elvis hits at clubs throughout Armenia. He has also performed Narek Markarian with a poster of his hero, Elvis Presley
in the United States, and in 2007, performed as Elvis in a char-
ity concert in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
Markarian says he uses his stage shows to introduce his club in neighboring Russia. er dull, 100-page biography based on that. A lot of things are
audiences to a lesser-known side of Elvis, in addition to per- This year, Markarian is hoping to record his first album, either incorrect or a repetition.”
forming the classics: “Elvis has a large repertoire that includes filled mainly with songs from Elvis’s repertoire. He says he No special Elvis commemorations took place in Armenia on
more than 700 songs. I perform 100 of them. I always try to also hopes to write a book about the role of the King of Rock January 8. Instead, celebrations have been pushed back to
include songs that, for whatever reason, aren’t known to wider and Roll in the USSR, where he was revered on a level with February, when Elvis fans around the world are poised to
audiences but deserve to be. That way people aren’t listening the Beatles as a symbol of the West. mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Presley’s US Army
only to things they’ve already hear a hundred times.” “My concept is to talk about Elvis in the context of the service in 1960.
Markarian has also created an Armenian website dedicated Soviet Union. Because there’s no point in writing another Markarian, whose possessions include an army uniform
to Elvis (www.elvis.am). But the country has no fan club ded- basic biography about him,” he says. “I don’t like it when a modeled after one worn by the King, is preparing for the event
icated to Elvis Presley. For that, Markarian has had to join a person reads four or five serious books and then writes anoth- with a set of performances in a Yerevan club next month.

Library in the Lurch: Martuni’s 75,000 Books Wasting Away

By Grisha Balasanyan
MARTUNI, Armenia (Hetq) — “We’ve had it
up to here with our situation, of constantly fil-
ing petitions and requests, of writing letters to
this and that official, telling them, someone, to
help us in saving this library of ours.”
These were the words of Lida Aleksanyan,
Director of the Martuni Library in the
Gegharkunik Province, when this reporter went
to cover the story of the library on the brink of
ruin. The library building itself is in desperate
need of repair.
Aleksanyan said that the building is beyond
repair however. “The site is dank and damp.
Repairs won’t cut it. A new building is what’s
needed,” she argued. Library employees say
that the books on the shelves have doubled in
weight due to the dampness and the texts are
fading. The library has a collection of 75,000
books and 3,000 members.
The old and frayed books can be checked out
theoretically but they aren’t; the demand is too
great. But a reader is hard pressed to get
through a book in normal fashion because so
many pages are missing or illegible. The adven-
turous reader must borrow several copies of the
same text to make up for the missing pages
found in each.
No funds for renovations or for new books
“The last time we received a new batch of
books was back in June; from the Book
Assistance Fund. Otherwise, we haven’t
received any new literature for the past few
years. We just don’t have the funds to buy any-
thing,” Aleksanyan stated.
The library is a branch of the Martuni
Municipality and it’s the mayor who is supposed
to see to it that new books are acquired.
Khachik Khlghatyan, the mayor’s chief of staff,
said that the library is slated to be renovated in
2010.
“If the financial crisis doesn’t come a’ knock-
ing at the door of the federal government and
the Martuni mayor’s office next year, we’ll have
state funds to renovate the building,”
Khlghatyan stated. The town official said that
they would rather not “inconvenience” the fed-
eral government in a time of crisis but that the
books are rotting away and they have no alter-
native.
Gluing the Pages of Tattered Books
Roza Zhamkharyan has been working at the
library for many long years. Every day she’s
busy gluing pages together, making sure that at
least some of the books remain in circulation.
The library serves the local community and sur-
rounding area. Residents from the district’s sev-
enteen villages even make the trip to the library
to pick up a “good read”.
Back in the day, there was a branch library
and a children’s library in Martuni, but they’re
closed now. All the books have been gathered
at the central library. Many of the books sit in
piles on the floor, tied up with twine. As a con-
sequence, they aren’t available to the public.
“Karineh Hayrapetyan, who heads the
library’s member services department, stated
that they had requested a bit more patience
from their readers to unpack all the books and
get them on the shelves. But Aleksanyan con-
fessed that they didn’t have adequate space in
the library to properly house all the books. The
library has no reading room. People have to
check out the books.
“I’ve been the director here for five years.
We’ve requested help from all government bod-
ies and the Ministry of Culture. We asked the
regional governor and other officials to come
see the situation for themselves. They show up, campaign, they say that the library will be at
say how terrible things are, and then shake the top of their list of priorities. After they’re
their heads, saying they just don’t have the elected it’s another matter.
resources to help. They promised to allocate The dedicated staff holds out hope that a
some funds this year, but then the crisis came benefactor will come forth to save the crum-
and, nothing,” Aleksanyan added. Library work- bling library and the books. “It’s a real shame.
ers told us that the only time officials show an We have many readers. Just look at all the well-
interest is around election time. During the thumbed books,” he said.
Jubilee Stamps Marking AGBU’s Centennial
Are Put into Circulation in Armenia
YEREVAN — During AGBU’s centennial in 2006, the Armenia’s Hai Post postal service,
by order of the Ministry of Communications of the Republic of Armenia, printed stamps in
Armenia dedicated to AGBU. Upon the initiative of the AGBU Armenia Representation and
with the cooperation of the Ministry of Communications of the Republic of Armenia, the
sheet of three stamps
depicts the organiza-
tion’s founder and
first president, Boghos
Nubar, the minutes of
the founding meeting
of the organization,
and a portrait of hon-
orary life president of
AGBU Alex
Manoogian. To mark
AGBU’s centennial in
2006, the Republic of
Nagorno-Karabagh’s
postal service also
issued a stamp, which
depicted the statue of Alex Manoogian located on his namesake street in the Karabagh cap-
ital of Stepanakert.
In celebration of Christmas and the New Year, the AGBU Armenia Representation sent
out cards this season using the AGBU stamp.
4 S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 0 T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R

INTERNATIONAL

International News Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division at

T urkey and C h i n a S ign International Space Weather Initiative
$ 1. 05B i n C on t r act s SHEIBENIK, Croatia — On
September 4-18, 2009 a delegation
I S TA N B U L ( P a nAr m en i a n. N e t) — Ch i na a n d
from the Yerevan Physics Institute
Tu rke y have s ig n ed s o me 38 c o n t r ac t s fo r a t ot al o f
(YerPhI) consisting of Prof. Ashot
$1.0 5 bi ll io n up o n c l os in g t he fo r um in Is t an b ul,
Chilingarian, YerPhi’s director and
a i m ed t o e c o n o m i c c oo p e r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o
head of its Cosmic Ray Division
s t a t e s , T u r t s i a . r u r ep o r t ed .
(CRD), with CRD scientists and engi-
C on t r a c t s a r e r el a t e d t o i m p or t s o f m i n e r a l s , m a r -
neers participated in the International
b l e a n d o t he r p r o d u c t s f r o m T u r k e y t o C h i n a , a s
conference on the Heliophysical
w e l l a s j o i n t p r o j ec t s t o b u i l d p ow er p l a n t s .
Phenomena and the Earth
D i re c t C h i n e s e i n ve s t m e n t s i n t h e T u rk i s h e c o n-
Environment in Shibenik, Croatia. The
o my b y l at e S ep t e mbe r 2 009 re ac he d $313 mil li o n,
regional meeting of Balkan, Black Sea
T u r k i s h e x p or t s t o C h i n a i n 2 0 0 8 t o t a l ed $ 1 . 9 8 b i l -
and Caspian Sea participants was held
l i o n s i n ce 2 0 0 0 . I n 2 0 0 8 t r a d e b e t w ee n t h e c ou n -
for the third time within the frame-
t r i e s r os e f r o m $ 1 b i l l i o n t o $ 1 2 . 6 b i l l i o n .
work of the International
Heliophysical Year, now being contin-
Ar m en ian Str iker Il ia ued as the International Space
Weather Initiative (ISWI). This initia-
J avor ijan to Tr y fo r tive is supported by NASA and the
United Nations’ Outer Space Office in
Toron to FC Vienna, Austria.
Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division has Prof Chilingarian at ISWI Conference, third person from right, talking to a reporter to
T ORONT O ( IM Sc o ut i n g) — The ML S si de To ron t o his left, with Armenian President Sargisian looking on
F C w i l l h av e a 1 0 - d a y t r i a l p e r i o d w i t h A r m e n i a n deployed Armenian designed cosmic
st r i ke r Il ia Javo r ij an , st ar t i n g f ro m Feb r u ar y 8. ray particle detectors in Croatia and
T h e 2 8 - y e a r - o l d t a r g et m a n h a s b ee n p l y i n g h i s Bulgaria, with other countries to fol-
low in the near future. The new net- students participated in the presenta-
t r a d e i n I s r a e l s i n c e 2 0 0 4 , a n d t hi s s e a s o n h e h a s tion of two reports at a training ses-
b e en a maj o r di sap p o in t me nt fo r Mac c ab i Tel Av iv worked arrays of particle detectors are
part of the Space Environment sion on cosmic rays and neutron mon-
d e s p i t e s c o r i ng f o u r g o a l s i n 1 0 l e a g u e a p p e a r- itors.
a nc e s . Viewing and Analysis Network
(SEVAN) which was developed largely President of Armenia Serge
Ac c o rdin g t o re p o r t s in Isr ae l , M ac c ab i Tel Av iv Sargisian, Minister of Economy Nerses
are t r yi n g t o get r id o f t he st r i ke r, w ho do e s n’ t w is h by young CRD scientists under the
direction of Chilingarian and CRD’s Yeritsyan, and minister of Foreign
t o p l ay f o r o t h e r s i d e s i n t h e c o u n t r y a n d p r e f e r s a Affairs Edward Nalbandian who were
m ov e a b r o a d . senior staff with international fund-
ing. visiting Croatia on September 8 met
J a vo r i j a n h a s b e e n p l a yi n g fo r I s r a e l i si d e s with the Croatian and Armenian
H ap o e l Pe t ac h Tik va, H ap o el Te l Avi v, Iro ny Kir iat The result of CRD’s research was
presented in a number of papers by physicists at the Zagreb observatory
S h m o n a a n d B n e i S a c h n in b e fo r e m o v i n g t o and congratulated them on the suc-
M ac cab i Te l Avi v i n t he s umme r o f 2008 fo r Prof. Ashot Chilingarian, Bagrat
Malyan, Armen Hovhannisyan, A. cessful collaboration and the launch
$ 5 1 5 , 0 0 0 . H i s c o n t r a c t r u n s o u t i n t h e c om i n g s u m - of the SEVAN equipment in Croatia.
me r. Daryan, Karen Arakelyan and Artur
Reymers. The SEVAN system of networked
S c o u t s i n I s r a e l d e s c r i b e t h e A r m en i a n i n t er n a - cosmic ray monitors received support
t io n al ( t hre e c ap s ) as a “ve r y s t ron g s t r ike r, w it h Chilingarian was one of four scien-
tists especially invited to report to the at the meeting in Croatia, and is
p e r c ei v e d p r e s e n c e i n t h e b ox . M o s t l y u s e f u l i n s i d e scheduled to receive a boost in 2010.
t h e b o x , a s h e i s h e av y a n d l i m i t e d i n h i s m o v e - conference on particle detectors for Prof Chilingarian explaining SEVAN
space weather and solar physics For more information on this topic Cosmic Ray Monitor designed by CRD
m e n t . H e i s a b i t c l u m s y bu t a f a i r l y g o o d f i n i s h e r and on the Cosmic Ray Division visit
i n f r o n t o f g o a l . H e s t i l l h a s n ’ t p r o v ed t h a t h e c a n research. The other invited speakers scientists and students, and being
were from research institutes in the http://crdlx5.yerphi.am/press_releas- deployed internationally
h a n d l e t h e p r e s s u r e o f p l ay i n g f o r a b i g s i d e . ” es/ and http://www.crdfriends.org.
US and Russia. Armenian doctoral

V ladi m i r Zhi r i n ov sk i:
R u s s i a M u s t Re c o g n i z e Armenians Saved Abdul Hamid’s Grandson and His Family: Hurriyet
N a g o r n o K a r a ba g h ISTANBUL (News.am) — “Our family
‘owed their lives’ to French-Armenians
R IGA , La tv ia (A r min fo ) — “R uss i a mu st rec o g n iz e after their exile from Turkey. We were
N a g o r n o K a r a b a g h i f i t d e c l a r es i n d e p e n d e n c e , ” penniless. Our Armenian friends helped
s ay s V l a d i m i r Z h i r i n o v s k i , L e a d e r o f t h e L i b e r a l us. There was an Armenian lady who
D e mo c rat i c P ar t y o f Ru ss ia, V ic e -Sp e ake r o f t he welcomed us to her chateau and we
R u s si a n S t a t e D u m a , i n a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h L a t vi a n lived there for a long time. I cannot
“N e atkar ig as R it a Av iz e .” deny the good deeds Armenians have
“ I a m n o t a g a i n s t e i t h er A r m e ni an s o r done for my family,” Beyzade Balent
A z e r b a i j a n i s , b u t t h ey w i l l n e v er a g r e e o n N a g o r n o Osman, grandson of Ottoman Sultan
K a r a b a g h l i k e G eo r g i a n w i l l n e v e r a g r ee w i t h Abdul Hamid II stated in the interview
A b k h a z i a . A r a b s w i l l n e v er a g r e e w i t h t h e J e w s . with Turkish Hurriyet daily.
K u r d s a n d T u r k s w i l l n e v e r r e a c h a n a g r e em e n t After Young Turks suppressed
e it he r,” he says . Zhir in ov s ki me n t i o ns t ha t R us si a counter-revolution on April 27, 1909
h a s c a l l e d re c o g n i zi n g a l l t h e t e r r i t o r i e s t h a t d i d Abdul Hamid was dethroned and arrest-
n o t w a n t t o b e p a r t o f t h e i r f o r m e r S o vi e t re p u b l i c s .
“ R u s s i a h a s b e e n c a l l i n g fo r r e c o g n i t i o n o f
A b k ha z i a , S o u t h O s se t i a , T ra n sd ni est r i a a n d
N a g o r n o K a r a b a g h f o r a l r e a d y 1 6 y e a r s , ” h e s ay s .
Turkey Envoy: ‘Israel’s Shameful Display Is Worst I’ve Ever Seen’
Az er baijan ’s For eig n ISRAEL, from page 1
A photo-op was held at the start of
M i n i s tr y C on s i der s the meeting, during which Ayalon told
the photographers in Hebrew: “Pay
Dro ppi ng Visa attention that he is sitting in a lower
Req ui r em en t fo r T urkey chair and we are in the higher ones,
that there is only an Israeli flag on the
B A K U ( A r m i n f o) — T h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f t h e e l i m i n a - table and that we are not smiling.”
t i o n o f v i s a r e qu i r e m e n t b e t w e e n T u r k e y a n d Celikkol’s associates told Army Radio
A z e r b a i j a n i s c u r r e n t l y b e i n g c o n s i d e r ed b y t h e on Tuesday, that the meeting with
Az e r i Fo re ig n M in is t r y. Ayalon was “the most shameful display”
“A f t e r de t ai le d c o n si der at io n , a re le van t de ci s io n he had seen in 35 years as a diplomat.
w il l b e ado pt e d, ” s ai d Az e r bai jan ’s D e p ut y Fo re ig n According to the associates, Celikkol
M in is t e r Vag i f Sadi khov. had no idea what the topic of conversa-
I r a n h a s e l i m i n a t ed t h e v i s a r e qu i r em en t f o r tion was to be when first seated. When
Az e r b aij an, whi c h wi ll go in to e f fe c t o n Fe b r uar y 1. the cameras left the room, the sources
T u r k e y e l i m i n a t e d t h e v i s a r e q u i re m e n t f o r said, the meeting was normal and pro-
Az e r b aij ani c it iz e ns las t ye ar. fessional.
“Had the ambassador understood
Ayalon’s intentions, which were only
expressed in Hebrew, he would have
ed. He was conveyed into captivity in
Salonika till 1912, then returned to
Constantinople, where he died in the
prison. The members of Ottoman
dynasty were deported from the coun-
try.
“I am on the side of the truth, but
we need to look to the future now.
The French and the Germans had also
slaughtered each other, came into
conflict but still managed to establish
dialogue,” the daily quotes Osman’s
words.
“I witnessed his grandmother crying
many times when he was a child.
responded in kind,” the source told
Army Radio.
Meanwhile, ministry sources said
Monday that Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman was trying to stop Defense
Minister Ehud Barak from visiting to
Turkey next week, in order to keep up
the recent tensions between the two
allied countries.
Barak was scheduled to leave for
Turkey on Sunday to meet with his
counterpart and the foreign minister
there, in an attempt to improve deterio-
rating relations.
Tensions were renewed on Monday,
after Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan declared that Israel was
endangering world peace by using exag-
gerated force against the Palestinians,
breaching Lebanon’s air space and
waters and for not revealing the details
They thought Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
(the founder of First Republic of
Turkey-NEWS.am’s note) would be
unsuccessful in his cause and that we
would return to the old days. My grand-
mother and mother wanted us to learn
Turkish. My father, however, was a
republican by all means and was sup-
portive of Ataturk’s principles,” the
source cites Osman.
In 1894-1896 massacres of Christian
population, firstly Armenians were per-
petrated in Eastern Anatolia and other
places of Ottoman Empire by direct
order of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
of its nuclear program.
According to Foreign Ministry sources,
Lieberman is now looking to “heat
things up” before Barak’s trip, so as to
torpedo attempts to mend the tensions.
“We get the sense that Lieberman
wants to heat things up before Barak’s
visit,” a senior Foreign Ministry source
said. “All of the recent activities were
part of Lieberman’s political agenda.”
The Turkish government was expect-
ed to give a warm welcome to Barak,
who alongside Labor Minister
Benjamin Ben-Eliezer was looking to
bring the allies’ relations back to stabil-
ity.
The Foreign Ministry sources sur-
mised that Lieberman’s efforts were
aimed at preventing Turkey from
resuming its role as mediator in Israel’s
peace talks with Syria.
 S A T U R D A Y, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 0
AGBU Brazil Celebrates Its 45th Anniversary
SAO PAOLO, Brazil — On Sunday, October
25, 2009, AGBU Brazil celebrated its 45th
anniversary at Buffet Maison du France here.
Close to 500 guests of all ages came out to
celebrate the milestone event, which was
notable for the large presence from the
emerging generation of Brazilian Armenians.
The event was attended by numerous guests,
including Valery Mkrtumian, consul general of
the Republic of Armenia; Anatoly Kapko, consul
general of Russia; Rev. Yesnig Guzelian, repre-
senting Archbishop Datev Karibian; Rev.
Boghos Baronian and Rev. Roy Abrahamian of
the Armenian Protestant Church. Also in atten-
dance were Ruben Kechichian, chairman of
AGBU Buenos Aires and member of AGBU
Central Board of Directors, and his wife, Elsa.
The event honored three AGBU Brazil mem-
bers for their commitment to the organization
and its work: former AGBU Brazil chairman
Carlos Matheus Der Haroutiounian, former
Arshile Gorky Exhibition at the Tate Modern
By Mark Hudson
LONDON (The Sunday Times) — The
Armenian-born artist, best known for his tragic
life, has his pioneering work showcased at the
Tate Modern next month.
In February 1948, the American magazine
Life ran a photo spread on the Glass House, a
modernist farmhouse conversion in rural
Connecticut. Sitting hunched by one of the wide
windows is a male figure, his dark hair rather
long for the period, face averted — referred to in
the caption simply as the house’s tenant, Arshile
Gorky, an artist. To anyone even slightly
acquainted with American art, that figure will be
of infinitely greater interest than the house.
Yet the evasive posture is significant. A vivid
presence on the New York art scene for nearly
three decades, Gorky has remained elusive in
death as he was in life. The question of whether
he was the progenitor of the great age of
American painting — which gave the world
Pollock and Rothko — or simply an imitative
quasi-surrealist or even a misplaced Eurasian
folk artist remains open. What isn’t in dispute is
his status as one of the most tragic artists of the
20th century. Five months after this photograph
was taken, he hanged himself in a nearby shed.
“Gorky saw things differently from other peo-
ple,” says his widow, Mougouch, pointing to a
vigorous semi-abstract drawing on her sitting
room wall. “For him, clouds and trees were full
of threatening forces. As you walked around
with him, you realized what you were seeing was
completely different to what he was seeing.” In
another drawing, hanging in a corner of the
room, is the pale, almost ghostly image of the
other great female presence in Gorky’s life, her
placid, wide-eyed features framed by a headscarf
— his mother.
The image is one of many Gorky produced
from a photograph he kept close to him at all
times. It shows the artist’s 12-year-old self look-
ing gravely out at us from his mother’s side. In
some of these images, the mother appears
serene; in others, there’s a sense of barely con-
cealed anxiety. The greatest of them, large paint-
ings hanging in the Whitney Museum, New
York, and the National Gallery of Art,
Washington DC, are considered American mas-
terpieces, icons of the immigrant experience. Yet
Gorky never talked about the circumstances sur-
rounding them.
On arriving in New York in the early 1920s,
Gorky let it be understood that he was Russian,
a cousin of the writer Maxim Gorky. In fact, he
was born Vostanig Manuk Adoian in an
Armenian village in eastern Turkey, circa 1900.
The stories Gorky told of an idyllic village child-
hood — of bread baking in village ovens, brilliant
red poppies, incandescent moons — weren’t
entirely fabricated, but they referred only to his
earliest years, before he and his mother and sis-
ters moved to the local capital, Van.
He never discussed the fact that he was pre-
INTERNATIONAL
AGBU Brazil Board Member Hampartsum
Moumdjian, and Manuel Kherlakian Neto, an
AGBU member and supporter of AGBU Brazil’s
many programs. Der Haroutiounian and
Moumdjian received AGBU Honor Member
diplomas, granted by AGBU Central Board of
Directors, while Neto was given the chapter’s
annual Personality of the Year award.
AGBU Brazil Chairman Krikor Manukian
congratulated the honorees during his speech
and thanked everyone for the success of the
event. He also enthusiastically mentioned the
youth who participated in the South American
Olympic Games, organized by Córdoba. Ruben
Kechichian passed along a message of congrat-
ulations from AGBU President Berge Setrakian,
and expressed his happiness and pride in par-
ticipating in the 45th-anniversary celebration.
The evening’s guests were treated to a live
music performance by the band Yerevan 50 of
Montevideo, Uruguay.
sent during the siege of Van in the early stages
of the Armenian Genocide of 1915; that, at the
age of 15, he walked, along with the rest of the
city’s Armenian population, to Yerevan, in
Russian Armenia, with many dying on the eight-
day march; or that his mother subsequently died
of malnutrition during a famine that killed a
third of the city’s population.
Gorky and his sister Vartush made their
way to America, where Gorky set about turn-
ing himself into an artist, educating himself
piecemeal at various institutions in New York
and Boston while taking menial jobs. He used
the pseudonym Arshile Gorky for the first
time in 1924.
His early work was painfully derivative of
other artists: first, Cézanne, then Picasso, Léger
and Miro. By the 1930s, however, Gorky had had
some commercial success in an art scene that
still looked to Europe for leadership, where the
artists who would make New York the global art
capital two decades later — the Pollocks and
Rothkos — were footling around with provincial
variants on surrealism and social realism. “De
Kooning was just an inarticulate guy who
cleaned Arshile Gorky’s brushes,” one observer
claimed.
Yet Gorky evaded every attempt to pin down
his ideas and intentions, even discouraging his
students from taking notes in class. “He may
have felt that clarifications and explanations
would lead back to the truth about his past,”
says his son-in-law and biographer, Matthew
Spender. “And since he felt nobody else could
understand what he’d been through, that was
something he could never discuss.”
Gorky’s brief first marriage and subsequent
relationships foundered on his simultaneous
obsession with work and morbid fear of betray-
al. Then, in 1941, he met a striking 19-year-old
art student, Agnes Magruder, an admiral’s
daughter and former debutante, who was to
become his wife and partner for the rest of his
life. He named her Mougouch, an Armenian
term of endearment.
“We met at a party,” she recalls. “I’d been
warned that he’d sing and dance and take the
whole place over. But this tall, dark man came
and sat beside me, and said absolutely nothing.
Then, at the end of the evening, he asked me if
I’d have coffee with him.”
A slight but well-preserved 86-year-old, she
pulls ruminatively on a roll-up as she looks back
nearly 70 years. “I’d been trying to paint myself,
and he encouraged me to continue. But I real-
ized I had nothing to say. What he was doing
seemed infinitely more interesting than any-
thing I could ever do.”
The couple’s meeting coincided with a new
unleashing of energy in Gorky’s work. At last, he
had found his own path, in passionate respons-
es to the New England woods and fields, seen
on his in-laws’ farm, which echoed in some way
the Armenian landscapes in his mind — captured
in luscious, lyrical and apparently completely
abstract paintings. This sense of liberation was
the result, at least in part, of the influence of the
T H E A R M E N I A N M I R R O R - S P E C TAT O R 5
Chairman of AGBU Buenos Aires Chapter and member of the AGBU Central Board of Directors
Ruben Kechichian expresses his thoughts on the 45th-anniversary celebration in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
France to Set up
Chilean artist Roberto Matta. A charismatic self-
publicist, one of a wave of European modernists Genocide Court
who had arrived in New York on the outbreak of
PARIS (BBC) — The French govern-
war, Matta became a close friend of Gorky, intro-
ment has announced that it will set up a
ducing him to the surrealist technique of “auto-
new panel to try cases of genocide and
matic” or completely spontaneous painting. “He
war crimes committed in France or
told Gorky not to try so hard,” Mougouch says.
abroad.
“He told him, just do it. Let yourself go.”
The new court would speed up the way
Yet things were never easy. There was con-
genocide cases are tried where the sus-
stant worrying about money, a continual moving
pect is on French territory but the
between the houses of wealthier friends and
process involves several jurisdictions.
Gorky’s New York studio, which wasn’t big
The unit is to include linguists and spe-
enough to contain the couple and the two
cialists with historical knowledge.
daughters who arrived in quick succession.
French authorities are currently hear-
It was in early 1946, however, that the sense
ing several cases against Rwandan geno-
of disaster began to escalate. First, Gorky’s stu-
cide suspects living in France.
dio burnt down, with the loss of about 20 impor-
Those being investigated include
tant paintings; then he was diagnosed with can-
Agathe Habyarimana, the widow of the
cer, and underwent an immediate colostomy.
late president Juvenal Habyarimana,
Physically weakened, he went on painting furi-
whose plane was shot down in 1994, trig-
ously, though he feared he was being left behind
gering the violence and killing inside
by a changing art world.
Rwanda.
“American art was coming into its own,”
In a joint statement to the newspaper
Spender says. “America had won the war, and it
Le Monde, the French foreign minister,
wanted to show something completely new to
Bernard Kouchner, and the justice minis-
the world. The New York artists were staking
ter, Michelle Alliot-Marie, said legislation
out their territories in this new dispensation.
to create a new unit within the Paris High
Gorky couldn’t do that. He was incapable of pol-
Court would be presented in the coming
iticking and intrigue.”
six months.
His mood swings became more severe. “He
“As the homeland of human rights,
got irritated with me,” Mougouch says. “He
France will never be a sanctuary for the
adored the children, but he got irritated with the
authors of genocide, war crimes or crimes
noise they made. He was growing weaker, and
against humanity,” the statement said.
he was frightened.” Unable to discuss his
The move, part of broader legal reform
Armenian background, even when his father
in France, will not change French war
died, inhibited in discussing his ideas by what he
crimes law.
saw as his lack of formal education, but with a
However, it will enable courts to move
free-spirited wife, 20 years his junior, and two
more rapidly through the complicated
boisterous children dependent on him, Gorky
international procedures involved in
felt frustrated and humiliated at every turn.
investigating crimes committed outside
On June 17, 1948, while Gorky was working
France.
in New York, Mougouch left the children with a
The announcement comes as Kouchner
childminder and spent several days with Matta,
is in Rwanda at the start of an African
who lived only 40 miles from the Glass House.
tour, which will also take him to Ivory
When Gorky learnt of their fling, he summoned
Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Matta to a meeting in Central Park and threat-
and Burkina Faso.
ened him physically. Matta managed to calm
Kouchner is due to hold talks in Kigali
Gorky, but his artistic standing was permanent-
with the Rwandan president Paul
ly harmed by the disclosure of the affair.
Kagame, in his first visit following the
A week later, Gorky broke his neck in a car
resumption of diplomatic ties between
accident. The driver, his dealer, Julian Levy, was
France and Rwanda last November.
apparently drunk. Forced to wear a cumbersome
neck brace, which restricted his painting arm,
Gorky was now suicidal.
In mid-July 1948, Mougouch departed with remained uncertain, particularly in Britain,
the children for her parents’ house in Virginia, which has never, Spender claims, quite taken to
writing to a friend that “the situation is unten- Gorky. This situation will be rectified by the
able, and I can no longer hold on.” Gorky’s body Tate’s spectacular show, in which Mougouch
was found a week later, hanging in a shed near has been closely involved. “When I think of
the house. Gorky, I think about my life beginning,” she
What one critic referred to disparagingly as says. “I rarely think of my life before then. For
the “canonization” of Gorky by the New York me, it all began with Gorky.”
art world began almost immediately. The sus- The exhibition of Arshile Gorky’s works will
tained invention of his final years, maintained be at the Tate Modern, SE1, from February 10-
through every adversity, can be seen as one of May 3.
the transcendent achievements of 20th-century (Mark Hudson is the author of Titian, the
art. Yet his status and significance have Last Days).